Automobile-chassis.



E. F. ALTMAN.

AUTOMOBILE CHASSIS.

APPLICATION. FILED SEPT. 11, 1913.

Patented Jan. 12v 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Biz-l.- 715 3 n uudo'o THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTC-LITHLL, WASHINGTON, ll z:v

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. F. ALTMAN.

AUTOMOBILE CHASSIS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1913.

EYE-.31...

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTD-LITHO WASH/N0 mm, D, c,

iurnrnn sraras ra'raivr @FFELKQE ELI/[ER F. ALTMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF IEO GRIN M. OULIVIAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMOBILE-CHASSIS.

resents.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed September 11, 1913. Serial No. 789,302.

2' '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER F. ALTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Chassis; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to motor vehicles,

and more especially to the framework thereof; and the object of the same is to produce an improved support for the driving shaft at points in front and in rear of the transmission, and for the jack shaft which is geared to the rear end of said driving shaft in certain constructions.

With this object in view the invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of this mechanism complete, with a part of the housing in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of this mechanism, looking at Fig. 1 from the left hand. Fig. 8 is a cross section taken through the jack shaft. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the yokes in the slightly different form. Fig. 5 is a side elevation in detail of the parts forming one member of the housing for the jack shaft.

in the type of motor car construction herewith illustrated, the rear end of the power shaft P extends into the housing H of the transmission mechanism T which is disposed between and beneath the side bars F of the main frame, and the main shaft M projects from the rear end of said housing and is geared at G and G to a transverse shaft herein called the jack shaft J carrying a sprocket wheel S which in turn is connected by a chain (not shown) with the rear or driving axle. Rotary power applied to and through the shaft P is communicated to the main shaft M when the transmission mechanism T is properly set, and from the main shaft it is communicated through the gears to the jack shaft J from which it is communicated to the rear axle. Therefore there is considerable strain tending to separate the teeth of the intermeshing gears G and G whenever the machine is started and is driven up a hill or carries a heavy load, and

the purpose of the present invention is to provlde a support for the rear end of the main shaft M and for both ends of the jack shaft J whereby these parts will be held ever in proper relative position and will yet be accessible for inspection and repair. When tl1e yack shaft is connected by a sprocket chain with the rear axle, in whichever direction the machine is moving there is con- SldQI'EtblE tension on the working side of said chain tending to draw the jack shaft to the rear and disengage the teeth of its gear G from the teeth of the power gear G; and therefore it is desirable that the bearings for said ack shaft be suitably braced to the framework or chassis F of the motor vehicle to resist this strain as well as the other strain above referred to. As is well known to engineers familiar with this type of machinery, the rear axle moves up and down with reference to the frame or chassis as the wheels pass over obstructions in the road or as the frame is depressed by the load upon it; and when said chain is surrounded by a housing, the latter must be movably connected with the support for the bearings of the jack shaft so that the housing sections may telescope slightly as the chain is tightened or loosened and so that the rear section may rise and fall while the forward section remains rigidly connected with the chassis. The details of this housing form no part of this application, nor is any claim made for the detailed construction of the parts thus far described and referred to by reference letters.

Coming now to the present invention, the reference numeral. 1 designates a yoke of substantially inverted U-shape, having a dropped center 2, seats 3 at opposite sides of said center, eyes 4 adjacent said seats for a purpose to appear, upright side arms 5 deflected outward at their upper ends as at 6, and upright flanges 7 at the outer extremities of said outwardly deflected portions 6, which flanges are bolted within the frame F as will be clear. Mounted within this yoke is an element of the chain-housing forming part of my companion application above referred to, and the same is herein shown as consisting of a box B inclosing the power gear G, resting on the seats 3 and bolted to the upright arms 5 as at 8, a removable cover plate C for said box whereby access may be had to its interior for obvious purposes, and two eyes I, projecting tothe.

, stated, I lay no claim to this detail, or to anything in this specification which is desig nated on the accompanying drawings by reference letters. The dropped center 2 of the yoke 1 is by preference shaped to conform with the bottom box B, and yet to permit the attachment and detachment of the ring R. hen said ring is removed, access may be hadto the eyes I: These receive bearings 10 which may be of the ballor the rollerv type and by preference are screwed into the eyes as shown, and the ends of the. jack shaft J are mounted in said bearings, On thisshaf-t is fixed the driven gear G which meshes with the driving gear G, and also the sprocket S which, as above stated, is con-v nected by a chain, (not, shown) with v a simi lar sprocket on the rear axle, Whennow access is desired to theinterior for purposes of inspection, the top .plate or cover. is removed. If thisbe not sufficient, the ring may be detached and drawn out of place, and that will permit. access to the interior, The jack shaftand the parts ca-rried thereby can be entirely. removed by runningthe bearingslO out inthe eyes anduntil one end of the jack shaft can he slipped outof place, after which by proper manipulation it may be properly withdrawn. These hearings, or at least that bearing which may besaid to be behind the gear wheelG, are or. is of the nature, of a shaft bearing to resist. the strain thrown onto the jack shaft by the inter meshing ofthe gears G and Gt. Tn ad di tion, they also take the tension o f:the chain, and for. this reason it be wise tobrace the yoke 1. F or this purpose rods 11 are passed through the eyestand led forward and obliquely upward and are connected. with the frame F in any suitable manner.

Another feature of my invention is the particular form of support for thepower shaft P, just in front of. the transmission housing H. Thisconsists of a yoke 13' having a dropped center 12, oblique. side arms 15 having eyes 14 near their outer ends, and flanges 17 at the outer extremities of said arms which are bolted to the chassisframe F- like the flanges 7 on theyoke first above described. If. this detail beemployed in connection with that above mentioned, the forward ends. of the rods 11. will pass through and be boltedin the eyes. 14 as shown, The dropped center 12 stands beneath a removable plate H at the front end o he.

of the. housing H and supports the same as shown, the yoke beinghere flanged as. at .15. to prevent longitudinal movement of this pa t of the housing.

The shaft bearing is held in position by a cover which is shown in Fig. 2 as consisting of an arched member 16 passingover the forward portion of the housing H and bolted at its ends as at 18 to the yoke; but the same may be broken away at its center so that the arch consists of two members as shown at 19 in Fig. 4c overlying this portion of the. housing and connected by the same bolts 18. In fact, considerable latitude will be allowed'the builder in this respect, as the transmission mechanism and its housing are often purchased in the market and assembled in the motor vehicle being built, and the framework. and therefore the yokes thereof must be adapted to the shape of the housing on, said transmission mechanism.

The latter needs .no detailed description, as 7 its structure is unimportant to the present invention and its operation is well known. With this member, however, as with the other yoke member 1 above described, I-prefer that the dropped center be left open or covered by a removable member 16- or 19, with the obvious purpose of permitting the mechanism carried thereby to be lifted outof place when it becomes necessaryto repair the same. I

The materials and proportions and details of construction further than as above set forth are not essential.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a motorvehicle, the combination with the chassis framfl, Of a pair of yokes each. having a droppedv center, diverging arms, and means for connecting the outer extremities of the latter with said frame, one yoke having eyes through its arms near their outer ends and the other having eyes through its body near its dropped center, androds connecting the eyes in one yoke with those inthe other, for the purpose set forth.

2.. In a. motor vehicle, the combination with the chassis frame, a yoke secured across thesame andhaving a dropped center, and a box mounted Within the dropped; center of said yoke and having a pair of rearwardly projecting eyes; ofa driving shaft having a power gear standing withinjsaid box, bearings removably mounted in said eyes,,a jack shaft mounted in said bearings and having adriven gear meshing with the power gear, and connections between said jack shaft and the driving axle.

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the chassis frame; a yoke secured across the same, and having-a dropped center, and a, box mounted within the dropped center of said yoke and havinga pair of rearwardly projecting eyes; of a driving shaft having a power gear standing within said box, bearings removably mounted in said eyes, a jack shaft mounted in said bearings and having a driven gear meshing with the power gear, a sprocket fast on said jack shaft and adapted to be connected with the driving axle of the vehicle, and rods connecting the lower portion of said yoke with the chassis frame at a point forward of the yoke,-for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a frame, a yoke across the same, a box removably mounted within said yoke and having a pair of parallel eyes projecting from the rear, and a ring detachably connected with said box; of a power shaft projecting through the front of said box and carrying the driving gear, bearings removably mounted in said eyes, a jack shaft journaled in said bearings and having a driven gear meshing with the driving gear, the eyes, bearings, shaft and driven gear being inclosed within said ring, and connections between said jack shaft and the rear axle of the motor vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELMER F. ALTMAN. Witnesses ORIN M. OULMAN, G. H. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

